Shipping or traveling case.



PATENT'ED'MAY-N, 1903.

v no. 728,524;

c. R. WALTER. SHIPPING 0R TRAVELING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17 1902.

" 5 sums-sum 1- )10 MODEL.

.PATEN'I ED MAY'19, 1903. v

G. R. WALTER. SHIPPING 0R TRAVELINGOASB.

APPLIQATION FILED MAY '17, 1902.

s sums-$112312.

H0 MODEL.

' 'No. 72s,524.- *BATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

o; R. WALTER. SHIPPING 0R TRAVELING GASEJ- APPL'IOATION FILED MAY 17, 1902.- v

KO MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET No. 728,524, PATENTED MAY'19,. 1903.

. CIR. WALTER. T j SHIPPING 0R TRAVELING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1'7, 1902. 10 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET}.

I PATBNTED' MAY19, 1903. I 0.- R. WALTER. 4 SHIPPING 0R TRAVELING CASE.

APPLIUAIIORI'BILBD MAY 17, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT QE ICE.

CLARENCE R. WALTER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHIPPING OR TRAVELING CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,524, datedMay 19,1903.

Application filed May 17,19Q2.

cloth, merchandise, personal efiects, &c. and it has for its object to produce such an arti cle in which the contents are yieldingly held in position and wherein the top of the goods or contents is automatically kept in the upper part of the case, so as to facilitate the packing or filling and the emptying thereof.

The invention consists in the improved construction and novel. arrangement of parts of 7 such a case, trunk, or rcceptacle,as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In. the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each ofv the views where they occur, Figure 1 is a broken end elevation of a trunk embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is atop view of the same, 'the lid or cover being omitted. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the tru nk o filled and closed. Fig. 4 is a similar view embodying a different form of my invention, the lid of the trunk being open "and partly broken away. Fig. 5 is a broken end elevation showing another modification of my invention.

end of thetrunk as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7

is an enlarged perspective view of an inside corner of the trunk, showing detailssupplementary to- Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a top view, on a 0 reduced scale, of the construction shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a broken elevation repro-' ducing part of the trunk as represented at' Fig. 4 with the tray thereof in"inverted position. Fig. 10 isa perspective view of one form of-tray that may be usedi'n the form of trunk shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Fig. 11 illustrates one method of forming the end of this tray. Fig. '12 shows a reinforcing-piece applied thereto. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the blank from which this reinforcing-piece is formed. Fig. 14. is a perspective of a collapsi- Fig. 6 is a broken plan view of one SerialNo. 107.854. (No model.)

ble tray adapted for use with the trunk, par

ticuiarly when made as in Figs. 4. and 9. Figs. 15 and 16 are plans of this collapsible tray, the former showing itv spread out and the latter foldedrand Fig. 17 is a detail View. e v

Referring more particularly to the said drawings, the numeral 1 indicatesa trunk or case, which may be of any suitable dimensions and constructed in an y desired manner.

A lid 2 ishinged or otherwise secured to the top of the trunk-'bodyand, as usual, is adapted to be closed and locked to prevent the escape of the contents of the trunk.

Yieldingly held within the trunk l-at' any desired distance from the top is a, platform 3, upon which the contents of the trunk are placed and preferably held by meansof retaining devices, as straps 4 and 5. These straps are arranged in pairs and secured atone of their ends to the front and rear walls of the trunk, respectively, and the free ends of each pair of. said straps are adaptedto be detachably fastened together, as bya. buckle 6. The platform 3 can be .made in any desired manner, although I prefer to construct it from longitudinal and transverse slats (best seen in Fig. 2) as giving the required strength with the least weight. The aforesaid plat-- form is of such size or dimensions as to fit snugly within the trunk 1 without excessive lateral play, but may be moved vertically.

The yielding support for this platform may i be located above or below it and may occupy space within the body of the trunk or be embedded or locatedwithin the trunk-wall. When. located above the platform, I prefer to construct the said support of coiled springs 7 'and place them one at each corner, where they will hold the platform against tipping and at the same time will take up but little room. The springs 7 may be secured to the corners of the platform at their lower ends by means of staples or eyebolts 8 and have their upper ends permanently or detachably connected to the top of the trunk-body, as'by means of cleats or strips of metal 9, the ends of which rest upon the trunk-walls. The upper end of each spring 7 is preferably formed into a stirrup or loop 10, through which the corresponding cleat is passed before its ends are secured to the trunk-body. When it is desired to support the platform 3 from below, I prefer to make the springs in the form of an expanded or open convolute spiral, as shown at 11, Fig. 4, so that when the platform is forced down by its load the coils will fit within each other, and thus take up the least possible room. In this manner the space between the trunk-walls above the platform will be entirely free and unobstructed and a little more room afforded than with the suspension or tension springs 7.

Instead of locating the supporting-springs so as to take up any of the room of the trunk, as above described,they may be located within recesses 12, Figs. 5 and 6, preferably at the ends. In this construction the springs are multiple, consisting in each instance of a se ries of fiat and elliptical members connected with one another in the form of lazy-tongs, as shown at 13, and each series may be attached to the trunk-body by means of a bolt 14; and to the platform by a metal strip 15, secured to and projecting laterally from the lower leafofthe bottom spring member. The recess 12 for each spring series extends from near the top of the trunk-body to the bottom, so as to admit of the expansion of the springs to the utmost when the platform is loaded to its fullest capacity and is forced down to the bottom of the trunk.

In using my improved case or trunk, as above described, the lid is opened and the straps 4 and 5 turned out of the way, the straps 5 at the rear being held back from over the platform 3 by means of suitable retainers, as straps 16, secured to the interior of the lid and extending down into position to be engaged by the buckle 6. other articles are then placed upon the platform 3, and after the platform has been loaded, partly or fully, as desired, its springs yielding as the weight thereon increases, the straps 4 and 5 are joined together over the load with or without an interposed board 17, Fig. 3, and the trunk-lid is closed and fastened. By giving the aforesaid springs the proper tension the top of the bulk of material upon the platform 3 will always remain at about the same distance relatively to the top of the trunk. This makes it much more convenient and easy to fill or empty my trunk than where no such provision is made, for the platform will sink as the load increases in filling and rise in emptying the trunk. In this way the heavy and laborious task of lowering or lifting big rolls of cloth, such as are indicated by 18 in Fig. 3 or other ponderous commodities to or from the bottom of the trunk, is avoided. My invention also saves time, as the articles being put in or taken out are always near the top, and therefore can readily be arranged in proper position when filling the trunk or taken hold of and removed in emptying it. It furthermore admits of a partial trunkful being shipped as securely as though the trunk were entirely full, since the springs will always The goods or hold the goods tightly between the straps 4 and 5 on top or the top board 17and the platform beneath.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown means for isolating the springs 7 that are employed in the form of myinvention first above described and more particularly illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3. These isolating means consist of shields 19, one for each spring 7, and are designed to prevent the convolutions of the several springs or either of them from catching in or rubbing against the edges of certain classes of goods or articles as they are placed in or taken out of the trunk. Each shield, as shown, is suitably curved and flanged for attachment to one corner of the trunk and the secure confinement therein of its respective spring, and each is further provided with a vertical slot 20 for the passage therethrough of the suspending connection between this spring and the adjacent corner of the platform 3. The suspending connection in the present case is preferably a Y-shaped fastening 21, whose stem passes through the slot 20 and is attached to the lower end of the spring 7 and the branches of which are respectively secured to the meeting ends of the outermost slats of the platform 3 at the corresponding corner. By these means the platform is left entirely free to move up and down, and there can be no possible contact or interference between its suspending springs and the load it carries. To render my trunk available for stowing or shipping smaller articles than can be secured by the aforesaid straps and platform, I employ in connection therewith one or more shallow boxes or trays, either with or without covers. In Figs. 10, 11, and 12 I have illustrated a very desirable form of such a tray, (therein marked 22,) which tray is best adapted for use 'with the form of my invention in which the platform 3 is supported at the corners by the springs 7. In this tray 22 the corners are preferably cut off, as suggested by the dotted line 23 in Fig. 11, and a strengthening-plate2t is secured to the walls and bottom, as shown in Figs. 10 and 12. The strengthener 24 is preferably formed from a T-shaped blank, (detailed in Fig. 13,) the several members of which are bent at suitable angles and rigidly secured to the walls and bottom, respectively, of the tray. In using such trays they are filled with the articles which they are to contain, and where there is a lid, as 25 in Fig. 10, it is closed down, and the trays are placed one on top of another upon the platform 3, the weight of each tray affecting the springs and causing them to operate in the same manner as the more bulky articles hereinbefore mentioned.

Figs. let, 15, and 16 show another very convenient form of tray which can be used with any trunk, but is best employed in combination with the spring-pressed platform illustrated in Figs. 4 and 9. This tray is foldable and comprises parallel sides 26 27, joined by IOL sides and two ends will constitute, with their interconnecting bottom tapes 3O 31, a rectangular receptacle fitting theinside of the trunkbody and adapted to receive various articles of wearing-apparel or dry goods of various sorts, and when the tray is empty the ends can be pushed inward and the sides drawn toward each other-that is, collapsed and folded, as suggested at Fig. 16. While thus folding the tray, the tapes are gathered and lodged between the closed sides and ends, as will be understood. In order to keep these sides and ends sufficiently rigid and their tapes suitably stretched between them whenever. the tray is opened for use, I provide a book 34 on one member of each end and a catch 35 for this hook on the companion member thereof. The hook 34 and catch 35 for each end are placed on the inside of the tray, so as to act oppositely to the external hinge 32 in each instance. To foldthe tray,the hook 34 is simply pulled off its catch 35, and the tray then readily collapses. In using this form of collapsible tray I find it convenient to place first an ordinary tray, as 36, on the platform 3, as shown in Fig. 4, and after filling the latter tray I superimpose thereon the desired number of foldable trays or as many as the trunk is calculated to hold, the platform descending, as before explained, as the several trays are deposited in the trunk.

After emptying the trunk if it be desired to keep it empty I invert the tray 36, as indicated in Fig. 9, so that its sides will hang down below the sides or edges of the springraised platform 3, and having collapsed the other trays I place them,carefully folded,upon the bottom of the said tray 36, their collapsibility enabling me to store them all within the upper part of the trunk 1 in the restricted space comprised between its lid 2 and its said spring-raised platform 3.

Although I have shown and described what I consider the preferred forms of my improved shippingor traveling case and illus-' trated the same in the shape of an ordinary trunk, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exact construction herein set forth, as it is evident that other forms may be adopted, and I reservethe right to make such changes and altera tions as will come withinthe scope of my said invention. For instance, the body of the receptacle may be in the shape of a box or even be made cylindrical instead of in the form of a trunk, and the coil-springs maybe secured to the body of the trunk by other means than the cleats, as a hook or clasp, and the straps at the back can be held out of the way by a hook or projection in the trunk-lid instead of a strap, and instead of elliptical springs within the recesses at the ends of the trunk other forms of springs could be used orordinary lazy-tongs may be substituted for them with or without springs for holding the tongs in their open position.

- What I claim, and desire to secure-by Letters Patent of the United States, is'

1. In a shipping or traveling case, ahollow body provided with a lid, a vertically-yielding platform in the body, straps at the front and back of the body secured directly thereto, and arranged to be connected together above the platform, and means in the lid at the rear portion thereof for temporarily holding the back strap out of the way; substantially as described.

2. In a shipping or traveling case, a hollow body provided with a hinged lid, a verticallyyielding platform in the body, pairs of straps secured to the sides of the case. and adapted to be connected together above the platform, the rear strap of each pair being provided with a buckle, and straps in the lid the free end of each of which is adapted to engage rear wall of the case and hold said strap out of the way, substantially as described.

3. In a shipping or traveling case, ahollow:

body; a vertically-movable platform therein,

with the buckle of its respective strap on the and oppositely-disposed springs each secured at one end against movement to the top of the body and at its opposite end to the platform; substantially as described.

4. In" a shipping or traveling case, a hollow body, a vertically-movable platform therein, a coiled spring secured to each corner'of the platform, the upper end of which spring is provided with a loop, and a cleat through each loop, the ends of which cleats are secured to the top of the body, substantially as described.

5. In a shipping or traveling case, ahollow body, a platform vertically movable therein,

springs located by the platform, suitablyapertured shields for the springs, and connections passing through the shieldsfor supporting the platform from the springs, substantially as. described.

6. In a shipping or traveling case, a hollow body, a platform movable vertically therein, acoiled spring placed at each corner of the platform, a slotted shield for each spring, and fastenings interconnecting the platform and springs through the slotted shields, substantially as described.

7. In a shipping or traveling case, a hollow body provided with a pocket, a verticallymovable platform in the body, and a spring in said pocket secured against movement at one end and havingits opposite end secured to the platform; substantially as described.

each corner of the tray being out off, and a T-shaped strengthening-plate for each cor- I5 ner, the members of which plate are bent at suitable angles and secured to the Walls and bottom respectively of the tray; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE R. WALTER. [L.S.]

\Vitn esses:

W. B. WEGENER, A. H. STE. MARIE. 

